Better Roads

September 2013

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safety watch | by Amy Materson
AMaterson@randallreilly.com
Dump truck dangers
Tear along perforated edges
The accident: Two
dump truck drivers
in a work zone were
instructed to switch
trucks. One of the
drivers exited his truck
and walked to the rear
towards the other vehicle. The second driver got into the truck,
shifted the truck into
reverse and struck the
ﬁrst driver.
The bottom line: A post-accident investigation determined
the ﬁrst driver was carrying
personal items including clothing
and newspapers, and realized
he had dropped an item behind
his originally assigned truck. He
walked behind the truck and bent
over to retrieve his belongings
as the second driver checked his
mirrors. The second driver noted
seeing the driver pass the rear of
the truck in the passenger side
mirror. He placed the truck in reverse and began to back the truck
just as the ﬁrst driver walked
behind the truck again, striking
and then running over the driver.
The driver was transported to
the hospital where he died two
weeks later from his injuries.
Illustration by Don Lomax
Stay away
from
backing
vehicles
Backing basics
Although both drivers had completed comprehensive safety training,
backing protocols were not used in
this case. Before backing a vehicle
or piece of equipment on a site
or in a work zone, make sure you
take appropriate precautions.
• Ensure a spotter is in place.
Before you enter the vehicle, ask
for an experienced spotter to
assist you.
• Look for a signal. Backing should
never begin before you see a signal from the spotter that it is safe
to proceed. The signal should
be agreed upon in advance and
consistent.
• Stop if you lose sight of the spotter.
If visual contact with the spotter is lost during the backing
procedure, come to a complete
stop until you reestablish the line
of sight.
Foot trafﬁc
If you're on foot, be aware of your
surroundings at all times, and take
special precautions to avoid the
path of vehicles and equipment.
• Keep clear. While on foot, stay
out of the work area and remain
in clear view of operators.
• Stay alert. Don't allow yourself
to become so accustomed to
jobsite noise that you don't hear
alerts. When you hear a backup
alarm, identify the source and
your proximity to it immediately.
• Be aware of blind spots. Familiarize yourself with the blind
spots of equipment and vehicles you're likely to be working
around, and stay out of those
areas. For diagrams of blind
areas on dump trucks and other
equipment, visit http://www.cdc.
gov/niosh/topics/highwayworkzones/
BAD/imagelookup.html.
BR0913
Information for this Safety Watch is from an accident report, NIOSH's Highway Work Zone Safety and the Center for Disease
Control's NIOSH Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation program. It is meant for general information only.
Sponsored by
Date of safety talk:
Attending:
Untitled-1 1
Leader:
9/4/13 8:46 AM